Pipe welding tool carriage



Aprii 6, W65 M. c. TUCKER PIPE WELDING TOOL CARRIAGE Filed July 24, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l Martin 0. Tucker 1N VENTOR.

April 6, 1965 M. c. TUCKER 3,176,897

PIPE WELDING TOOL CARRIAGE Filed July 24, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Martin 6. Tucker INVENTOR.

BY QM 40x 2. WWW 3m April 6, 1965 M. c. TUCKER 3,176,89?

PIPE WELDING TOOL CARRIAGE Filed July 24, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mari/n 6. Tucker INVENTOR.

United States Patent This invention relates to a novel and useful pipe welding tool carriage and more specifically to a tool carriage including a clamp assembly adapted to be fixedly secured to a pipe section and including an elongated frame mounted on the clamp assembly for movement c1rcurn-. ferentially about the pipesection-to whichthe clamp assembly is secured. The elongated frame includes an accessory support adaptedtosupportpipewelding or cuttmg tools as well as rolls of filter wireand the elongated frame of thetool carriage-is provided with drive means engaged With the pipeclamp assembly for slowly driving the elongated f-rame circumferentially about the pipe section to which the clamp assembly is secured.

By slowly moving the elongated frame about the p pe section to which theclamp assembly is secured, the pipe welding and/or cutting tools may be moved. at the proper speed relativeto the workpiece comprisingthe pipe sectionto which the clamp assembly is. securedin order that the pipe section may be cut or. may have an adjacent pipe section welded thereto.

The mainobject of. this invention is to provide a pipe welding tool carirage which may be secured topipe sections of various diam-etersand utilized to slowly'move pipe welding orcutting tools circumferentially about that pipe section.

A furthenobject ofthis invention, in accordance with the preceding object is to providea. pipe clamp assembly.

' roller means of the elongated frame engaging both the inner and outer surfaces of'the mounting band and means providedfor adjustably. positioning theroller rneans engagedrwiththe outer surfaces ofthe. mounting bandrelative to theroll-er means engaged with the inner surfaces ot-the-mounting band inorder that the frictional engages merit of the roller means with the cylindrical mounting baridmay. be adjusted.

Still another object of. this invention isto provide a pipe welding: tool carriage in accordance with the preceding objects whichincludes a toolcarirage. mounted upon a cylindrical mounting band disposed about thepipe section withwhich the. pipe welding toolcarirage is engaged for movementcircumferentially about the mounting band and provided.withcounterbalance means. in order that the tendency of the tool carirage will be to move at a constant. speednbcutthe mounting band.

A final object, tobe specifically enumeratedherein is topgovide apipe welding tool carriage in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional formsofmanufacture be of simple construction and easy toruseso asto provide a device that will be economical 1y reinstated}; lasting and relatively trouble free in operation. l

These together withother objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is atop plan view of the pipe welding tool carriageof the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the pipe welding tool carriage;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional View taken substan- 3,176,897 Federated Apr. 6, 1965 tially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 33 of HGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective. view of the pipe welding tool carriage; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side. elevational view simi-. lar to that of-FIGURE 2 but showing adapter fillers being utilized: to enable the pipe-welding tool carriage to be secured to, a pipe havinga different diameter than the pipe illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 2 of the drawmgs.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral it) generally designates the pipe welding tool carriage assembly of the instant invention. The tool carriage assembly maybest. beviewedfromF-IGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings and it may be seen that the carriage assembly 1d. includesa tool carriage generally reerred to by the reference numeral 12 and a pipe clamp assembly generally referred toby the reference numeral 14.

Thepipe clamp assembly 14. comprises a pair of half sections 16 and 13 which aresecuredtogether by means of suitable positioning and clamp assemblies generally referred .to by the reference. numeral 2%. The pipeclamp assembly ledefines a cylindrical mounting band 22 which has. a pair of axially spaced grooves 24 and 26 formed in its. inner surfaces. The. cylindrical mountingband 22 is formed of thetwo-half sections 16 and. 18. They half section 18. includes a pair. of notched flanges 28 each provided witha positioning pinfiil. The half section 16 includes apair of mounting flanges 32 which each has a threaded shank member 34 pivotally securedthereto at one end, a wing nut 36 being threadedly engaged. with each of the other endsof thethr'eaded shank members 34. It may be seenfrom FIGURESZ and Set the drawings that each ofv the mounting flanges 32 has a bore 3&forrned therein for, the receptionof the freeend of the corresponding positioning pin The pivotedshank member 34 may he swung through the open end of the corresponding notch. id andthereafter the wing nut '36 maybetightened in order to clamp the pipe clamp assembly half sections. 16 and,l b ;about the pipe section iz with the outer surfaces of the pipe section i being engagedby. the inner ends. of the radially inwardly projecting abutment stands 44 carried by the pipe clamp assembly half section. 16 and the innermost end ofthe threaded adjustmentscrew 46 which is threadedly engaged in a. threaded bore 48. formed through a web .59 lying on a chord of the. half section 13.

The half section 181 is reinforced bymeans of the web Stlsand the two webs 52, whichextend circumferentially there along and the half section 1.6 is reinforced by. means of a web 545 which is securedbetweenthe grooves 24 and Z5 and has the outer ends of the abutment stands 44.se-. cured thereto inany, convenient manner.

Withattentionnow directed to FIGURE 5 of. the drawings, it may beseenthata pair of arcuate adapter plates 56;; and 53 maybe disposed between apipesection 600i smaller diameter than the pipe section dtland the abutmentstands id and abutment screwdd. Inthisrnanner, pipe sectionsof varyingfldiametersmay be clampingly engaged by the pipe clamp assembly 14,

The tool, carriage 12: comprises an elongated frame generally referred to by the reference numeral 62 and includes a pair of innerandouter generally rectangular frames 64 and fiti. Eachof thev frames 64 and 66 comprises a pair of longitudinally extending side angle members ddwhich are interconnected at one pair of corresponding ends by means of a pivot shaft '76. The other pair of'corresponding ends of the side members 68 of the frame as are interconnected'by means ofa pivot shaft 72 and thecorresponding ends of the side members of the frame are interconnected by means of a pivot shaft 74. One pair of corresponding ends of the frames 64 and gaged with the shank portion 78 and thereby establishes a minimum spatial relationship between the adjacent ends of the frames '64 and 66. A pair of compression springs 84 are disposed between corresponding corners of the frames se and 66 and normally resiliently urge the corresponding ends of the frames 64 and 66 away from each other and to the maximum spatial relationship defined by the wing nut 82. Each of the side angle members 68 of the lower or inner frame as has a pair of rollers 86 and 88 rotatably mounted thereon and the rollers 86 comprise first roller means while the rollers 38 comprise second roller means. The rollers 36 and as are engaged or seated in the grooves 24 and 26 formed in the cylindrical mounting band 22 and are guided thereby. A drive roller ht) constructed of yieldable material is rotatably journalled from the side angle members 68 of the upper frame 66 by means of journal blocks 92 and is disposed in rolling contacting relation with the. outer surface of the cylindrical mounting band 22. Said drive roll is journalled about an axis generally paralleling the axes of the first and second roller means and disposed between radial planes of said band containing said axes.

From FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawingsit may be seen that a gear wheel 96 may be mounted on the shaft 93 of the roller as and have a worm gear ltltl meshed therewith. It is to be understood that the worm gear will may be driven by any suitable power source such as a flexible cable.

The tool carriage 12 includes a counterbalance and accessory support assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral MP4 and the support tee is defined by a U-shaped member including a pair of legs res and ltltl interconnected at adjacent ends by means of a curved bight portion lllltl. Each of the legs 1% and 1% has a roller I112 rotatably supported therefrom and a roller 114 is rotatabiy supported from the bight portion lit) by means of journal bloclts 116. An accessory mounting shank lie is secured to and projects outwardly from the bight portion lltl and may have a roll of filler wire 12d mounted thereon.

Each of the free ends of the legs res and 1% is provided with a pair of notched abutments 124 for seated engagement with the corresponding-pivot shaft carried by the frame 64 and is suitably apertured as at 126 for the reception of the shank portion 123 of a bridging head 13%. Each of the free ends of the legs 1% and lit)? also includes an abutment 152 and one end of each of the bridging heads llftl is engaged with the corresponding abutment 132 while the other end embracingly engages the side of the corresponding support shaft remote from Inasmuch as the half sections of the pipe clamp assembly 14 are separably connected to each other, the pipe clamp assembly may be readily secured to an intermediate portion of any length of pipe section. Thereafter, the counterbalance and accessory support that may be secured to the tool carriage 12 as hereinbefore set forth.

-.In operation, a pipe welding apparatus or cutting tool as well as the roll of filler Wire 12% may be carried by the accessory support or shank 11% while the roller as cornprising the third roller means is driven in order to move the tool carriage 12 circumferentially about the pipe clamp assembly t l; It is to be noted that the counterbalance and accessory support we substantially counterbalances the tool carriage 12 and thus, even when the pipe sec tion to which the pipe welding tool carriage it? is secured is horizontally disposed, the tool carriage 12. will have a tendency to move about the pipe clamp assembly 14 at a constant speed. 7

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, first means defining a generally cylindrical mounting band, clamp means carried by said band and adapted to clampingly mount said band on a pipe of smaller diameter than said band and with the latter generally concentrically disposed about said pipe and spaced therefrom, an elongated tool carriage extending transversely of said band, first roller means carricd by one end portion of said carriage and second roller means carried by'the opposite end portion of said carriage and journalled for rotation about axes generally paralleling the band axis and disposed in rolling contacting relation with circumferentially spaced portions of the inner surfaces of said band, additional roller means carried by said carriage and journalled for rotation about an axis generally paralleling and disposed between radial planes of said band containing said axes and disposed radially outwardly of the plane in which said axes lie,

said additional roller means being adapted to be driving- .memberembracing said clamp means and disposed in overlying relation to the outer surface of said cylindrical mounting band, said U-shaped member including roller means disposed in rolling contacting relation with the outer surface or" said cylindrical mounting band.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second roller means comprises a roller constructed of deformable material extending transversely of said elongated carriage and the adjacent portion of the cylindrical mounting band. a

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said clamp means includes means for fixedly and clampingly engaging said pipe clamp assembly to pipe sections of varying diameters.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the inner surfaces of said cylindrical mounting band have a pair of axially spaced grooves extending circumferentially thereabout, said first roller means each including a pair of axially-spaced rollers seated in said grooves for guided movement thereby.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said clamp means comprises a pair of arcuate half clamp assemblies removably securedtogether, each of said half clamp assemblies including one-half of said cylindrical mounting band, the opposite ends of said cylindrical mounting band halves being disposed in end abutted relation.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said carriage includes means mounting said additional rollermeans for adjustable lateral shifting of its axis of rotation to- 6 U ward and away from the plane in which the axes of rota- ,680,420 6/5 Sheifer et a1. 269-58 XR tion of said first roller means are disposed. 2,800,867 7/ 57 Smith 113-102 2,820,644 1/58 Smith 269-287 XR References Cited by the Examiner 2,894,111 7/59 McNutt 21960.1 UNIT D TA ES PATENTS r 2,906,851 9/59 Kitrell 21960.1 E S T 3,042,787 7/62 Kotecki 21960.1 1,266,094 5/18 Beckman 26961 1,389,068 8/21 Olson 269-2891 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,499,499 7/24 Bienenstok 113130 544,338 2/32 Germany. 1,872,114 8/32 BIlIIliSh 113133 LAN M P E 2,269,946 1/42 Lange 269--287 XR 10 HA xammer' 2 442 333 /43 Watkins 113 1 2 JOHN CAMPBELL, Examine?- 

1. IN COMBINATION, FIRST MEANS DEFINING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL MOUNTING BAND, CLAMP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BAND AND ADAPTED TO CLAMPINGLY MOUNT SAID BAND ON A PIPE OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID BAND AND WITH THE LATTER GENERALLY CONCENTRICLLY DISPOSED ABOUT SAID PIPE AND SPACED THEREFROM, AN ELONGATED TOOL CARRIAGE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID BAND, FIRST ROLLER MEANS CARRIED BY ONE END PORTION OF SAID CARRIAGE AND SECOND ROLLER MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPPOSITE END PORTION OF SAID CARRIAGE AND JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AXES GENERALLY PARALLELING THE BAND AXIS AND DISPOSED IN ROLLING CONTACTING RELATION WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID BAND, ADDITIONAL ROLLER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE AND JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY PARALLELING AND DISPOSED BETWEEN RADIAL PLANES OF SAID BAND CONTAINING SAID AXES AND DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE PLANE IN WICH SAID AXES LIE, SAID ADDITIONAL ROLLER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO BE DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF MOTIVE POWER AND DISPOSED IN ROLLING AND DRIVING FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID BAND, AND SAID CARRIAGE BEING ADAPTED TO CARRY A TOOL FOR WORK ON THE PIPE DURING ITS MOVEMENT THEREABOUT. 